Orthopedic table



INVENTOR:

' ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM L BE LL w. I. BELL ORTHOPEDIC TABLEFlled Dec 6, 1938 June 10, 1 941;

June 10, 1941.

w. L BELL 2,244,758

ORTHOPEDIC TABLE Filed Dec. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IA L FIG. 4. 7

W G I I 70 FIG. 6.

a INVENTORZ $5 WILLIAM L. BELL ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1941ORTHO-PEDIC TABLE William L. Bell; Oakland, Ca-lit, assignorto GilbertHyde Chick, Oakland, Calif.

ApplicationDecember -6, 1938, Serial No. 244,199

4 Claims.

This invention relates to orthopedic tables and, more particularly, toresilient body supporting means. therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to comfortably support a humanbody in. such man-- nor that it may be subjected to X-ray: examinationat various angles without intervening supporting means impenetrable toX-rays.

Another object is to subject the human body to traction for thereduction or correction of fractures or m-aladjustments While permittingfree accessibility by the operators for the purpose of fluoroscopicexamination, photography, and the. application of plaster casts andother corrective procedure.

A particular object is to provide a resilient support and perinealanchorage during tractive pro- A further object is to improve theefiectiveness and convenience of apparatus in this class with reducedcost, of production.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In, the present invention, any articulatfidmember of the human skeletalstructure can be sub-' jected to traction or compression by placing thepatient. or the accessories in appropriate relative positions. in theapparatus.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the invention isdisclosed in its preferred form. But it is to be understood that: it isnot limited to this form, because it may be embodied in modificationswithin the purview of the claims following the description.

In the 2'. sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is. a side elevation of an orthopedic table constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same in vertical section on the lineII--II, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial side view of the same, taken in the direction of thearrow III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view detail of the strip clamp.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section ofthc same on the line V-V, Fig. 4. I

' Fig. 6 is a plan view of the strip. tightening wrench.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in plan of the log spar mounting.

Wood has been chosen'for much of the base structure of the table in theinterest of economy because it is light, strong, easily fabricated andfinished. The substitution of metal structures is easily within theskill of those familiar with the mechanical arts.

In detail, theconstruction illustrated in the parallel base beams I, 2drawn together by the upper and lower rows. of cross bolts 3, 4. Theheads and nuts of these bolts are countersunk into the sides of thebeams, see Fig. 1, and hidden by the overlying side boards 5 6 and thetop and end trim l, 8, 9;. The latter may be thin metal platesappropriately plated.

The supporting end trucks comprise the cross beams H], H, fixed beneaththe ends of the base beams I, 2, and under which the caster Wheels l2,l2 and l3, 13 are suitably mounted. These Wheels are provided with foottrips, such as 16, to prevent their rolling. The cross beams 10 H arecamouflaged with suitable polished metal plates partially covering theirrespective trucks.

The series of. tubular standards I9, 20, 2|, 22., 23,24, 25, 26, 21arepinched between the base beams 2 by the cross bolts 3, 4 and thus:securely locked against. turning. The lower ends of these standards stopabove the lower edges of, the beams, and when embedded therein by theclamping tension of the cross bolts. are prevented from longitudinaldownward movement, see- Fig. 2..

Each of these standards i9--2,l are split from the upper endobliquelytoward the side as at 30,- in Fig. 2 to form the two arcuate jaws of aclutch. The thick ring 3| is fixed to the wider of these jaws, leavingthe thinner jaw free to spring under the pressure of the hand set screw32 threaded in the collar 3|.

The support rods 33:, 3' 1. telescope into their respective standardsI9-.--2T and are fixed at adjusted heights by the clamping action ofthe. set screws 32; The yokes 3-5, 36 are fixed. on the upper ends 01'their respective rods 33, 34. The opposite ends of the overhead beam 31are pivoted in these yokes so that this beam may be adjusted at anydesiredang-le as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The side rails 38, 38. are clamped on opposite sides of the standardsI8, 22 by the bolts 39 to provide an elevated mounting for the legspars. Referring to Fig. 7, the, leg spars comprise a pair of squaresteel bars 4!), 4|, having the flattened overlapping heads 42, 4-3respectively engaging a center pivot 44, consisting of a boltextendingup between the rails 38," 38. The head 45 of this bolt engagesunder the." overlapping clamp bars 46, 41, extending laterally frombeneath the side'rails 38, 38, parallel with their respective leg spars40, H.

The clamp loops 4a, 49 encircle. their respective pairs of leg spars.40, 4! and clamp. bars 46, 41. The set screws 50, threaded into theends, of the loops, bear against the bars 46, 41 to clamp these bars andspars against the inter posed rails 38, 38 in order to clamp the sparsat any desired angle with respect to the center Thus assembled, the legspars may be located at any desired position by longitudinally slidingthe pivotal point between the rails 38, 3B and tightening the bolt 44.The spars 40, 4| are adapted to receive any of the types common in thisart of tractive accessories slidable thereon in the usual manner.

The overhead windlass, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, cornprises the inverted yoke52 straddled over the overhead bar 31 to which it is clamped by thescrew 53 at any desired adjusted position. The block 54 rides on top ofthe bar 31 beneath the yoke clamp and has a hole to receive thetransverse windlass shaft 55 passing therethrough and fixed by the setscrew 56, threaded in the top of the yoke. The opposite ends of thisshaft are split, as at 5T, 58 to receive the bight of the suspendingbelts such as 59, see Fig. 2 and 3. The hand Wheel 60 provides means formanually turning the shaft 55 in its socket.

It'is common practice to support the patients body on tables such as 6|,62, having the stems 63, 64 vertically adjustable in the standards 20,2| respectively. 7

The present invention relates particularly to substitutes for suchtables and other conventional means for body support, and consists of aseries of transverse bows having canvas strips stretched from end to endof the bows. Since the general structures of the bows are similar, onlyone will be described in detail.

In Fig. 2 the bow 65, that may be steel tubing or other suitablematerial, has the center stem 66' telescoping into any of the standards2D2E and locked by the set screw 32 in the collar 3|, hereinbeforedescribed. The opposite ends of the bow have the cross blocks 66, 61pivoted thereto on the countersunk screws 68, see Fig. 5. Similar blocksare fixed thereto by the separated cap screws I2, 12 and I3, 13.

One end of the canvas strip |4 is clamped between the blocks 65, Hi andheld by the cap screws 12, 12. The other end of the strip passes betweenthe blocks 61, 1|. The split wrench I5, see Fig. 6, is inserted onopposite sides of the strip below the blocks 61, H and wound up by meansof the cross handle 16, until it engages beneath the blocks. Continuedturning of the wrench puts the desired supporting tension on the strip14, which is held by setting up the screws 13 to clamp the strip andhold the strip taut. The natural resilience of the bow 65 permits thestrip to give under the torso weight of the patient who then rests uponthe series of flexible and comfortable strips 14 supported by thestandards 23-26 or any one or more of them, while his legs lie upon thetables 6|, 62; or the position of the torso may be reversed as operativeprocedure indicates. Bow strips may be substituted for the tables 6|, 52if desired; the bows and tables are interchangeable.

If it is desired to examine the torso or legs of the patient byfluoroscopy or X-ray photography, any interfering bow can be omitted orthe stem 66 withdrawn from the supporting standard during theexamination.

Should the standards 2026 interfere with the X-ray apparatus, thepatient can be elevated by means of the windlasses on the overhead beam3T. To accomplish this, the looped ends TI, 11 of the endless slings 59are passed around the ends of the bars 66, 61 and the bight passedthroughthe slotted ends 51, 58 of the windlass shaft, as in Fig. 2, sothat both ends of the bow 65 are suspended-from the windlass unit, awindlass being provided for each bow s0 suspended.

on the tables. "may be lowered, removed, or previously omitted Insteadof the slings 59, the opposite ends 74' of the strip 14 can be left longenough to engage the windlass shaft ends 51, 58.

In placing a plaster cast on all or any portion of the torso, thevarious strips 14 involved are incorporated into the cast, to be cutaway when the patient is removed from the table.

When traction is indicated in leg fractures, the leg spars 40, 4| areplaced in proper relative positions to apply traction to the affectedlimb. Instead of the usual hard, rigid perineal post, one of thebow-like supports, previously described, is provided with the stud 19welded thereto and inserted into the standard 22, see Fig. 1.

This invention operates substantially as follows: With the tables BI, 62and the bow supports A, B, C, D elevated to a common level, the patientis laid thereon, preferably with the legs Any of these supporting meansIf it is a leg fracture requiring traction, the leg spar or spars 48, 4|are arranged in fixed adjusted position as described. The bow F andperineal strip F are then positioned to resist the traction applied tothe limb. If it is an arm fracture requiring traction, a windlass isadjusted in proper position on the overhead bar 31,

I with a bandage or sling attached to the available portion of theaffected arm with the shoulder strapped to the supporting strip 14. Thetraction is applied by turning the hand wheel 60. The angular adjustmentof the overhead bar 31 i'is a great convenience in bringing the windlassclose to the affected arm or limb, while leaving head room for theoperator under the other portion of the bar 31.

Obviously the bar 31 and the windlass units 3:;can be used to supportthe legs and apply traction thereto in preference to the leg spars 40,4| if desired. Other combinative arrangements of the parts andaccessories of the apparatus will be apparent to those skilled in theart.

A particular advantage of the bow type of support is the sagging of thestrip 14, which causes the body of the patient to remain centered on thestrips I4 when traction is applied to the limbs.

When the bows AD are suspended from the overhead bar 31, as described,the bows and blocks 65, 66 can be swung on the pivots 68 out of therange of the X-rays.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. An orthopedic table including a base; body supporting means on saidbase; and a taut flexible perineal strip extending vertically from saidbase.

2. An orthopedic table including a base; body supporting means, andtraction means on said base; a vertical taut flexible perineal strip inoperative relation to said traction and supporting means respectively.3. An orthopedic table including a base; alined standards on said base;rails on said standards above said base; radiating leg spars pivotallymounted upon said rails; traction means on said spars; and a verticaltaut flexible perineal strip in operative relation to said tractionmeans.

4. A perineal post comprising a bow and a flexible perineal supportingmember carried by and between the ends of said how.

WILLIAM L. BELL.

